Group 1: Tariff Increases - The new reciprocal tariff rates effective from August 7, 2025, set a minimum of 10% for trade deficit economies and 15% for trade surplus economies[4] - The overall U.S. tariff rate may rise to over 15%, with estimates suggesting it could reach 17.1% or even 21.2% if key industry tariffs are implemented[5][28] - The effective tariff rate in June 2025 was 8.9%, with a projected increase of 2.4% due to recent tariff changes[26][28] Group 2: Trade Agreement Characteristics - Direct investment and procurement agreements can lead to lower tariffs, with Japan, the EU, and South Korea securing a minimum tariff of 15% in exchange for significant investment commitments[6][34] - Current trade agreements lack formal legal texts, leading to uncertainty in execution and compliance[7][38] Group 3: Impact of Existing Tariffs - U.S. import growth decreased by 2.8% for every 1% increase in tariff rates, with projections indicating a potential decline in import growth to -10.5% in the second half of 2025[8][43] - The majority of tariff costs are borne by U.S. importers, with 40% to 74% of the tariff price increase already reflected in the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI)[11][50] - The "import rush" observed in April 2025 has likely ended, with June imports showing signs of a demand pullback[12] Group 4: Price Competitiveness - As of May 2025, approximately 61.4% of Chinese goods still maintain a price advantage despite increased tariffs, down from 76.1% in 2024[12] - The narrowing of tariff differentials between China and other countries may reduce the risk of export share loss for China[32]

Group 1 - The core viewpoint of the article is that China's export growth is primarily driven by exports to emerging economies, particularly in production materials, while exports to non-US developed economies are mainly in consumer goods [2][3][4] - In the first half of 2025, China's overall export increased by 5.9% year-on-year, with emerging economies contributing 4.7 percentage points to this growth [9][134] - The export performance to emerging economies is particularly strong in intermediate goods, which increased by 2.4 percentage points, while consumer goods negatively impacted the overall growth by 3.7 percentage points [21][135] Group 2 - The article discusses that the strong export performance may be partially attributed to "export grabbing," with estimates suggesting that 30% of the growth could be due to this phenomenon, while 70% is driven by external demand and market share changes [4][68] - The US's import surge, which appears to reflect "import grabbing," is primarily driven by specific goods from the EU and Switzerland, rather than a general increase across all categories [35][40] - China's exports to non-US markets have increased significantly, but this is not solely due to "transshipment" as the data shows a mismatch in export performance between China and ASEAN countries [46][62] Group 3 - Future export growth may continue to exceed expectations, as the US's import demand has not yet reached a balance point, indicating potential for further increases [76][81] - Short-term impacts on exports to emerging economies may arise from tariff implementations, but medium-term prospects remain positive due to rising investment demand and urbanization in these regions [90][94] - The expansion of the middle class in emerging markets is driving consumption upgrades, presenting new opportunities for high-value exports from China [120][124]

宏 观 研 究 "反脆弱"系列 本研究报告仅通过邮件提供给 中庚基金 使用。1 2025 年 08 月 17 日 出口会否持续"超预期"？ ——"反脆弱"系列专题之十三 ⚫ 抽丝剥茧：谁在拉动出口？对新兴国家出口生产资料、对非美发达国家出口消费品 一级分类（国别+商品）：国别中对新兴出口表现较好，商品中生产资料出口表现较好。2 上半年我国出口整体稳中有增；国别结构上，对新兴经济体出口（东盟印度、非洲、中东） 为核心增长引擎，非美发达国家出口（欧盟与英国）也提供适度支撑。具体商品中，电子 设备与零部件、机械制造、部分消费品（玩具、手机、珠宝首饰等）出口表现较好。 二级分类（国别╳商品）：对新兴国家出口改善主要集中于生产资料，消费品出口走弱。 上半年我国对新兴国家出口累计同比上升 1.5pct 至 9.6%。其中，中间品拉动整体增速 2.4 个百分点，资本品拉动 1.0 个百分点，而消费品则拖累整体增速 3.7 个百分点。其中，锂 电池、矿物与金属、化学品、电气设备和机械设备等出口表现较好。 二级分类（国别╳商品）：对非美发达国家改善主要集中于消费品。上半年我国对非美发 达国家出口同比较去年底大幅上升 5.5pc ...

Group 1: Trade Performance - In July 2025, China's exports increased by 7.2% year-on-year (in USD), up 1.3 percentage points from the previous month[4] - Imports rose by 4.1% year-on-year (in USD), recovering 3 percentage points from the previous month[4] - Overall trade data defied market consensus, showing resilient exports and stronger-than-expected imports[5] Group 2: Export Dynamics - Exports to the US weakened again after a brief recovery in June, influenced by the postponement of tariffs[5] - Despite the decline in exports to the US and ASEAN, overall export growth rebounded due to increased market exploration in Europe and emerging economies[5] - Exports to the EU rose significantly, with a growth rate of 9.2% in July, indicating a shift towards European markets[7] Group 3: Import Insights - July's import growth of 4.1% was surprising, supported mainly by imports of semiconductors and machinery[8] - There was a divergence in import performance, with raw materials like iron ore and coal remaining weak, while crude oil and copper imports showed improvement[8] - The recovery in imports may be more influenced by external demand rather than domestic economic recovery[8] Group 4: Future Outlook - Short-term export resilience is expected due to active market expansion by domestic exporters, but import recovery may be more volatile[5] - The sustainability of export strength hinges on US demand, which is anticipated to weaken in the second half of the year[9] - Risks include potential policy shortcomings and unexpected changes in domestic economic conditions[9]

Group 1: Industrial Profitability - In June 2025, the total profit of industrial enterprises above designated size decreased by 4.3% year-on-year, with the decline narrowing by 4.8 percentage points compared to May[7] - The profit margin for industrial enterprises in June was down 6.9% year-on-year, contributing a 6.9 percentage point drag on profit growth, although this was an improvement from the 10.2 percentage point drag in May[8] - Industrial production showed resilience with a 6.8% year-on-year increase in industrial added value, outperforming May's 5.8%[8] Group 2: Future Profitability Pressure - The second half of 2025 is expected to see continued pressure on corporate profitability due to potential depletion of U.S. demand from prior "import rush" activities[10] - Tariffs have increased costs for enterprises, impacting profit levels, similar to the trend observed during the last U.S.-China trade friction from 2018 to 2019[10] - Multiple industries are pushing for "anti-involution," which may further compress profit margins in sectors with weak downstream demand[25] Group 3: Resilience in Equipment Manufacturing - Equipment manufacturing has shown relative resilience, with profit margins performing better than other sectors since April 2025[26] - The mining industry has maintained a profit margin of around 31% since April 2025, despite revenue growth remaining negative[26] - Companies that have already expanded overseas or are establishing factories abroad are likely to capture more market share amid trade frictions[27][28]

Export Performance - In June 2025, China's exports increased by 5.8% year-on-year, a rise of 1 percentage point compared to May[3] - Exports to the US fell by 16.1% year-on-year in June, but the decline narrowed by 18.4 percentage points from the previous month, contributing approximately 2.7 percentage points to overall export growth[4] - For the first half of 2025, China's exports grew by 5.9% year-on-year, an acceleration of 2.2 percentage points compared to the same period last year[6] Import Trends - In June 2025, imports rose by 1.1% year-on-year, with a 4.5 percentage point increase from May[7] - Imports from the US decreased by 15.5% year-on-year in June, with the decline narrowing by 2.6 percentage points from the previous month[7] - Cumulatively, imports in the first half of 2025 fell by 3.9% year-on-year, a slowdown of 6.0 percentage points compared to the same period last year[10] Market Dynamics - The reduction in US tariffs following the Geneva talks in May has led to a significant recovery in exports to the US, although tariffs remain high at approximately 41.3%[4] - The "temporary suspension" of global tariffs by the US has allowed Chinese companies to continue exporting to markets outside the US, with exports to ASEAN growing by 16.8% year-on-year in June[4] - The overall trade environment remains volatile, with expectations of a decline in export growth to around 1.0% in July due to ongoing high tariffs and weakening external demand[6]

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the impact of increased tariffs on U.S. imports, highlighting the scale, regions, and types of goods being imported as a response to tariff changes [4][5][6]. Group 1: Tariff Increases - The effective tariff rate in the U.S. rose to 7% in April, with projections of 2.3% for 2024. The effective tariff rate on imports from China increased to 37.5% in April, up from 25% in March, and is expected to drop to 10.6% in 2024. For regions outside China, the effective tariff rate rose to 3.9% in April from 1.8% in March, with a forecast of 1% for 2024 [5][9]. Group 2: Scale of Imports - U.S. imports surged by approximately $188.3 billion, accounting for 68.6% of the average monthly import value for 2024. This surge indicates a potential drag on import growth of about 9.8% over the next seven months due to demand being pulled forward [6][12]. - The share of air freight in U.S. imports increased significantly, peaking at 37.1% in the first quarter of the year, compared to an annual average of 27.6% for 2024, before slightly declining to 31.5% in April [6][12]. Group 3: Sources of Imports - The primary regions contributing to the increase in U.S. imports include the Eurozone, ASEAN, Taiwan, Australia, and India, which collectively accounted for an 11 percentage point increase in year-on-year import growth [7][15]. - The air freight share from Australia, the Eurozone, India, Vietnam, and Taiwan saw significant increases, although there was a decline in April for Australia and the Eurozone, indicating a potential decrease in import momentum from these regions [15][20]. Group 4: Types of Goods Imported - The main categories of goods that U.S. companies have been importing include electronic products, pharmaceuticals, and raw metals, which together contributed 18.5 percentage points to the year-on-year import growth from January to April [8][23]. - In April, while the growth rates for pharmaceuticals and raw metals slowed, electronic products continued to show strong demand, contributing 4.1 percentage points to the overall import growth [23][24].

Tariff Impact - The effective tariff rate in the U.S. rose to 7% in April, with projections of 2.3% for 2024, and specific rates of 37.5% on imports from China and 3.9% from other regions[2] - By May, the overall tariff rate further increased to 8.7%[3] Import Surge - U.S. imports exceeded historical trends by approximately $188.3 billion from December 2024 to May 2025, accounting for 68.6% of the average monthly imports in 2024[3] - Air freight imports surged to 37.1% in January-March 2025, compared to an annual average of 27.6%[4] Source Regions - Major sources of increased imports include the Eurozone, ASEAN, Taiwan, Australia, and India, contributing 11 percentage points to the 19.3% year-on-year growth in U.S. imports from January to April 2025[4] - In April, the overall import growth rate fell to 1.9%, with ASEAN, Taiwan, and India still showing strong contributions[4] Product Categories - The primary products imported include electronics, pharmaceuticals, and raw metals, which collectively contributed 18.5 percentage points to the overall import growth of 19.3% from January to April 2025[5] - In April, electronics maintained a high growth rate, contributing 4.1 percentage points to the import increase, while pharmaceuticals and raw metals saw a decline in growth rates[5]

Core Viewpoint - Despite the easing of tariffs between China and the U.S., the average tariff rate on Chinese goods remains high at around 42%, with significant portions of goods facing rates as high as 57% [2][3] Tariff Analysis - The average tariff rate on U.S. imports from China is approximately 42%, with 40% of goods facing a rate of about 39.5% and 32% facing around 57% [2] - The breakdown of tariffs includes: - Base tariff + Fentanyl tariff + Equalization tariff: 36,011,281 (7.78%) - Base tariff + Fentanyl tariff + Equalization tariff + 301 List (1-3): 146,373,663 (31.64%) - Base tariff + Fentanyl tariff + Equalization tariff + 301 List (4): 187,165,284 (40.46%) - Other categories account for 123,359,456 (26.66%) [3] Trade Dynamics - Following the tariff easing in May, there has been a recovery in direct trade between China and the U.S., with indices for the CCFI West and East routes increasing by 21% and 23% respectively [4] - However, the number of container ships from China to the U.S. showed weak performance in late May, indicating a time lag in the recovery process [4] Import Trends - The U.S. has been "rushing imports" since November last year, with approximately $220 billion worth of goods imported from November 2024 to March 2025, equivalent to one month’s import volume prior to this period [7] - As inventory levels rise and shipping costs increase, U.S. import demand has started to decline, with the growth rate of goods imports dropping from 31.1% in March to 2.2% in April [7] Export Orders - The PMI export order index for China in May and the number of container ships heading to the U.S. in early June suggest that the momentum for "rushing exports 2.0" may be starting to wane [7]

Trade Data Overview - In May, China's exports amounted to a year-on-year increase of 4.8%, below the expected 6.2% and previous value of 8.1%[3] - Imports decreased by 3.4% year-on-year, significantly lower than the expected increase of 0.3%[8] Trade Slowdown Signals - The slowdown in trade is indicated by three main factors: 1. Preceding demand from the U.S. led to a front-loading of imports, which has since declined significantly since May[4] 2. The weakening of demand from the U.S. has reduced the support from ASEAN and Latin America for Chinese exports, with a marginal decline of 2.4 percentage points in export growth to these regions[6] 3. The negative year-on-year change in imports reflects the need for domestic demand recovery, which remains insufficient[5] U.S.-China Trade Dynamics - China's exports to the U.S. saw a further decline of 34.5% year-on-year, contrasting sharply with rising container shipping rates, indicating a lag in the impact of tariff adjustments[5] - The tariff "de-escalation" effects on U.S.-China trade have not yet fully manifested in May's data, suggesting potential improvements in June[5] Sector-Specific Insights - The export growth of mechanical and high-tech products has been consistently slowing, with integrated circuits benefiting from tariff exemptions[6] - The overall structure of exports is becoming increasingly differentiated, with significant variations in performance across different product categories[18] Domestic Demand and Import Trends - Domestic demand remains weak, as reflected in the CPI data, which shows a further drag from consumer goods compared to April[21] - The decline in imports is indicative of the ongoing challenges in domestic consumption recovery, with May's import figures falling short of expectations[8]